“Nothing beats the smell of a fresh Christmas Tree,” says Renee Vruno, Market Manager at Kunnari’s Farm Market in Virginia.
Renee Vruno walked us through all the Christmas Trees they have available for your home this Christmas at Kunnari’s. Vruno explains the types of trees they have this year. “I’ve got five different varieties, Balsam, Fraser, and Korean, those are all firs. Then, I have spruce, and white pine.”
Kunnari’s gets their trees from a Christmas Tree Farm in Grand Rapids. She explained what people like about different trees. “The exotics, like the Korean Fir have more of a silver underneath and a rounder look to their needles. The Frasers have a more firm branch to hold those ornaments. Many people like the White Pine as it has long, pretty needles, not as great for holding up ornaments though. The spruce are more ‘pokey’ but have a very good firm branch and hold the ornaments well.”
They also sell fresh garland and wreaths. “My sister and I made the garland that we have for sale here and the wreaths. We pick some of our own local materials and we get some from a local fellow who picks for us.”, says Vruno.
So why should you get a tree from Kunnari’s? Vruno said, “We have beautiful well-trimmed Grade #1 trees. You will get a very nice tree. You are not getting a lower grade tree, they have been well cared for.”
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, if you only remember three tree tips, here they are!
- Cut off the bottom of the trunk (at least an inch). Any pre-cut tree will have sealed its original cut with sap so it can’t suck up the water it needs!
- Put the tree in the water immediately! Think of your tree as a cut flower. It will not survive long without water; you may not see the tree wilt, but it will never be the same if it dries out. You can start by just placing the tree in a bucket of cool water in your garage, but don’t store it for more than a day or two.
- Never let the water run dry. The first 24 to 48 hours, the tree will soak up the most water. Check on water levels twice a day for the first week! Keep it watered.
So, how long should a tree last? Vruno states, “Depending on how people care for a tree, I usually take mine down in the middle of January and it’s pretty dried out and dead, but it should definitely last a month. I usually stretch mine out to two months.” Most importantly is to keep watering that tree.
While you pick out your tree, also explore the greenhouse. “We have an amazing Christmas Greenhouse gift shop, we convert the greenhouse into a Christmas Wonderland, so take some time to browse in there, have a cup of coffee and walk around and pick up some Christmas gifts for yourself or someone you love.”
Kunnari’s will also have Ladies Night on December 19th, from 3pm to 7pm. “So, that will be right before Christmas if they are needing any last minute inspiration, gifts, we’ll have that ladies shopping night,” says Vruno.
For more information about the Kunnari’s Farm Market, Christmas Trees, Wreaths, Garland and all sorts of joyous stuff inside, go to their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/kunnaris
There are also other places to get a Christmas tree this year. In Chisholm, go to the Cherry Greenhouse. In addition to trees and wreaths they have beautiful Chrysanthemum. The gift shop is full of all sorts of goodies to check off your shopping list.
For more information about all that the Cherry Greenhouse has to offer, go to thier Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/p/Cherry-Greenhouse-100057302064524
There are also tree lots at the Lakeland Store, south of Biwabik and at Crossroads at the intersection of Highway 37 & 7, in Iron.
Joy McJingles writes blogs about Iron Range Tourism and Holidays on the Range. Blogs are posted on Thursdays & Sundays.
